One Last Breath
by Somberdead
Summary: She was scared, her world was falling apart and she had no idea how to stop the madness. How will she prevail? Can she even become strong enough to save the ones she loves?


Chapter I.

My head was pulsing, oh god how my head hurt. I gripped my ears trying to block out the irrational high pitched noise. "Shut up!" I screamed but it continued on.

Finally mustering up the courage, I climbed out of bed and swung open the door.

"Do you people not understand the meaning of shut up? SHUT UP. I have a migrane and your voice hurts my ears."

My mother and sister looked up from their petty fight, "Nammu go back to bed, your father will be home soon and you know how he gets." My mother sneered at me.

I squinted my eyes at the snobish woman, "I'm going out."

"Nammu, take me with you!" My little sister shouted, pushing away from my mother's grip around her petite wrist and running towards me.

"No Allatu, not this time." She wrapped her small hands around my waist and stared up at me with her large, green puppy eyes. I frowned, I wanted to take my sister with me but I refused, prying her off of me and escaping before she could utter another complain.

I lived with my family of five; there was my mother Gretchen, my father Abraham, my sister Allatu, and my dog Abaddõn.

To start off, my mother is actually my step mom. My real mom died when I was three of some kind of heart failure and my dad remarried a year after. She's a bad influence to my father and has brain washed him into hating me.

My father works all day in the mines, a slave to the Capitol and bringing home bottled up anger and little bread. He was once a smart man, he knew a lot about hunting but now he's just- never mind.

My half sister Allatu is twelve, she looks a lot like me yet our personalities are entirely opposite. I pefer a lot of girly like things, I'm always baking whenever I get the chance and shopping whereas my sister loves to climb trees and play in mud.

My father gave us all our names from ancient civilizations. My dog was named after the ancient greek angel Abaddõn, which means "The bringer of death and destruction". My sister was named after the ancient Babylonian goddess Allatu, the goddess of the Underworld. I myself am named after ancient Sumeria, Nammu, meaning "the sea".

As I walked I went into town, I had little money but I atleast enough to buy a nice cake. I sighed, I never want to go home when my mom and sister fight, it always leads to other fights and I am definitely one for peace.

"Nammy?" I literally jumped as the random voice placed a hand softly on my shoulder.

I slowly turned to see the boy standing behind me. The boy was taller than my short height of 5'4, towering over me at atleast 6'5. His hair was as black as the coal that streaked his cheeks. His eyes a layed back blue that shined with curiosity. "Oh my god Luke, you scared me."

He gave a sly grin, winking at me, "What are you doing out here? Your dad isn't even home yet."

"Yeah I know but mom and Alli were fighting again," I squinted my eyes.

This is Luke, he's my next door neighbor and he's three years older than me, making him twenty-one. Him and I have been friends for awhile but I barely know him to be honest. He's always distant, always trying to keep his "bad boy" image but underneath I know he's hurting just as bad as the rest of us here in District 12.

"You alright?" He asked, a strange look striking his eyes that I couldn't recognize.

I shrugged, "Yeah I guess, I just think they fight over the stupidest things, you know?"

He snorted, "Yeah, last week they fought in the market about wether or not they should buy tomatoes or onions."

I rolled my eyes, "You want to go on a walk?"

"Sure, let me just drop this bag off at my house."

"You don't want to shower first?"

He stuck his tongue out, "Well if you insist."

~N~

As we walked I noticed something unusual about Luke, he was a lot more talkative than usual.

I finally stopped him just as we reached the large fence that surrounded the town, "Are you alright Luke?"

"What do you mean?" He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Never mind," I sighed; I knew I should just drop it because like Jefferson Starships*, the man sucks, or atleast at giving information.

We glanced up at the sudden sound of a twig snapping; two people coming out of the brush of thick woods startled me some but I soon recognized them.

Katniss Everdeen and Gale Hawthorne, two people from my school who always seem to want to rebell, definitely not my crowd but Gale reminded me a lot of Luke.

They glanced at us and gave a simple wave, climbing throught the hole in the fence and sneaking back into the district.

Once out of sight I turned back to Luke, "The reaping is this week for the 73rd annual Hunger Games. Who do you think will get chosen?"

He shrugged, "You never know but I still think that those things are rigged."

I nodded, "Yeah," we eventually went back to his house were his mom layed passed out drunk on the couch. "Is she still binge drinking?"

He nodded softly as we slipped by the snoring woman and into his room. I sat down on the middle of his bed, reaching acrossed to grab a magazine he had laying on his night stand. "The latest issue from the Capitol huh?" I asked, glancing up at the man who leaned against the door frame.

"Yeah, my mom still buys it."

I gave a weak smile before glancing out the window. The sun was close to setting and the brilliant colors of different oranges and pinks streaked across the sky. "Hey I have to go Luke, I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, getting up from the bed.

He grinned, "Of course Princess."

I walked up to him and gave him a quick hug, quickly pulling away and leaving for home. A home that's so cracked and broken tape and glue can not repair it.

~N~

The first morning lights started to flood my room just as I awoke. I sat up and stretched, quickly taking off my pajamas and putting on a black undershirt with a faded orange blouse that slid down on my shoulders and black shorts with my usual black tennis shoes.

Sneaking out of the house before anybody woke up, I quietly clicked the front door shut and snuck by several peacekeepers, knocking on Luke's window.

I knocked softly and heard the faint sound of him groan and shift in bed. Not a moment after the window unlocked and opened, showing Luke's tired face.

He wore dark grey sweat pants that hung low on his hips and- uh, no shirt to reveal an actually chiseled chest. His black hair was messily ruffed yet playfully cute and his five-o-clock shadow outlined his jaw.

"Sorry I slept in Princess."

My cheeks were hot, "Yeah, whatever dude."

I climbed through his window and sat on his bed while the man quickly changed. I tried to keep my eyes off of him by looking around the room but I guess my womanly instinct kicked in and I glanced back at him as he pulled on his new shirt. Our eyes met and my faint blush turned fiery red.

He grinned, "You ready to go?" I nodded, to choked up to even attempt to speak. "Well, come on, they're waiting for us."

He grabbed my hand, pulling me forward he led me out the window, down the street, and behind the old warehouse where the black market was usually held.

Two people stood waiting, a girl and a boy. The girl was about my height with long, golden hair and blue eyes like the ocean. Her cheeks are pudgy and she had that cute-yet-chubby factor going on.

The boy was about three inches taller than me, still making Luke the tallest, and had a light brown hair with matching eyes.

"Hey Nammy!" He exclaimed, quickly hugging me before I could respond. "Good morning!"

"Yeah, morning Jakob." I turned to the girl, "Morning Alice."

She smiled and gave a simple wave, it was a miracle if you even got a peep out of the girl. "Hey Luke, did you bring the stuff?" Jakob asked, nudging Luke's shoulder with his elbow and wiggling his brows.

Luke nodded, pulling a bag from his jean pocket. He opened the plastic bag and pulled out a cigarette, something that only the Capitol can get.

Jakob bro fisted the air, taking out his lighter and taking a long drag. "Now that's the stuff." He passed it to Alice who mimicked his action before passing it to me and so on until Luke flicked away the bud.

We all sat on the ground and talked for hours until the sun shinned bright and we all had places to be. As Luke and I walked, he grabbed my hand and pulled me behind a building.

"Uh, what are you doing Luke?" I started shaking, not quite sure just what his intentions were.

"Listen to me Nammu, we need to talk."

"Can't this wait? You need to go to work..."

"No- I, I want us to leave."

My eyes widened, "What are you talking about."

"I want us to leave the district. We can go to District 13, and build a life together. We're going to die here Nammu."

"I-I, uh, Luke what about our families? What about Alli, my dad. What about your mom?"

He bit his lip, "She, uh, left."

"What do you nean she left."

"Peacekeepers took her last night. She's gone."

"Oh my god Luke," I pulled him into a tight hug, running my fingers through his hair.

His arms pulled me closer and I could feel my neck dampening as his tear-filled eyes started to burst. "You're all I have left Nammu, I can't be here anymore. I just can't."

"Its okay, I'll go with you Luke."

He pulled back to look me in the eyes. "You will?"

I nodded; he leaned down and with delicate lips kissed me, his lips soft and warm against my own and sweet, tasting of sweet bread and tobacco.

He pulled away, leaving me to actually crave more. I was surprised and caught off guard. I never even thought about Luke like that untill today of course. "When will you be ready Princess?"

"Right after the Reaping. I need to get somethings around and they'll be suspicious if we don't show for my last year."

"Alright," he leaned down kissing me again, his tongue dancing across the line of my bottom lip.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

~N~

A/N- CHAPTER ONE IN THE HOLE! :D Alright, so I gave an explanation to what their names mean and why I chose them but I want to explain the Jefferson Starships thing xD If you know who they are then you understand my reference and why they are terrible but if you don't then here:

Jefferson Starships is a band from the 1970s and let me just say THEY SUCK ASS! Anyways, look them up if you don't believe me. This takes place the year before Katniss goes into the Hunger Games the first time.

Review please!


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